This is the longest single movement in the tai chi form and takes up most of the fifth section. The practitioner steps out to all 4 diagonals, blocks up and pushes outwards then draws his energy back in. The arms The arms are fairly easy to understand. From a ‘holding the ball’ position you raise your lower hand turning it palm outwards as you do so that the fingers are […]
The fourth section of the form is possibly the most physically demanding as part of it is done on one leg. The second half can be challenging regarding the footwork. Anyway, here is how it all fits together. Practice Practice Practice… Sorry but to access this course or article you will need a relevant subscription. CLICK HERE to get your Basic membership access (£8pm) CLICK HERE to get your Intermediate […]
We already looked at the brush knee in Module 4. In this section it comes up again but includes a step forward and doing it on the other side. It’s followed by a low punch and then we go straight into Ward Off East and carry on as we did in the first section to single whip. This next set of movements is quite hard to describe so study the […]
This move requires you to stay rooted and balanced on one leg while extending the other out in front of you. It also involves a twisting, circular movement that’s great for opening your hips and spine. This move also contains the most physically challenging move in the whole form but I will show you an easier version. Opens hips and spine Strengthens legs Works on balance How to do it […]
Golden phoenix is a seemingly simple move that just requires you to stand on one leg with the fingers of one hand pointing up and the fingers of the other pointing down. Practice your crane stance first and the heaven and earth breathing practice as this combines both of those exercises. Standing on one leg requires some practice. It’s just a question of strengthening your legs and relaxing. Develops poise […]
Snake creeps down (also known as descending single whip) is a move that develops leg strength, co-ordination, relaxation and awareness of your body weight. Your leading hand is the snake that retracts then slivers down the leg before turning upside down and extending forward. In the meantime your body moves back into a low stance then comes back forward. Don’t be put off by the low stance. Just keep within […]
Below is a video of the 3rd section of the form. This is one of the easiest sections to remember the order of movements. I just create a story – you see some monkeys, guard yourself against them, fight them off then fly away! The moves are:Fist under elbow (guard position)Repulse MonkeyDiagonal flyingCloud hands. Here’s the video Again it starts from single whip position. https://youtu.be/659DPUKTDuU… Sorry but to access this […]
Cloud hands is a beautiful movement that mimics the soft movement of clouds floating through the sky. It is a lovely movement to practice over and over again. Partly because it feels good to do and partly because there is so much it can teach you when it comes to relaxing down and connecting different parts of your body together. How to do it Start with just the arm movements […]
Diagonal flying is a short move that involves a circling, stepping out and opening movement. It ends with probably the only position where your yin arm is higher than your yang arm. How to do it Start from the closing position of repulse monkey – weight on left leg, left hand at hip forward with right foot and hand as shown below Circle your arms clockwise so your left hand […]
This move involves both your arms doing a yin circle, one going forward while the other pulls backward, and at the same time you’re stepping backwards in the cat step. It’s best to learn the arm movements and footwork separately then you can combine them later. The footwork Start in a cat stance with your weight on your right leg, left foot in front of you. Bring your front foot […]
This is the first move in the third section. it moves you from the single whip posture into a guard position via a strong twist to the left. There is an ancient Taoist symbol for peace and balance which has one hand with the fingers pointing up and the other hand beneath it. The lower hand signifies yin or the earth. The upper hand signifies yang or a plant growing […]
As with the first section work on each movement individually first. Then put them together. You’ll notice that the moves after embrace tiger, return to mountain are the same as for the first section – rollback and press, push and single whip. You should already be becoming familiar with these important moves. Both the videos below begin with single whip which was the last move of the first section. https://youtu.be/UhGiY_74zfo… […]